A Niotaze single mom is beaming today as she looks forward to moving into a home that her friends have made possible for her.

Chasity Meise watched last week with tear-filled eyes as a huge bulldozer razed her home at the east edge of Niotaze — a necessary move because it was filled with unhealthy mold. The home had been flooded numerous times when a nearby creek overflowed its banks.

“I just got my house paid for in May of this year,” said Meise who has five children plus a grandchild she is helping to raise. “My grandbaby kept getting sick and we finally figured out it was the mold that started growing after the flood two years ago. We pushed back the couch and the mold was growing up the back of it.”

Friends from up the street, Brian and Carey Shouse, heard about Chasity’s problem and launched an effort to find her a suitable house where she would have more space and get away from the mold plague.
That happened when a vacant house located near Peru was donated and several friends took on the task of tearing down the doomed house, preparing the lot, moving the donated home and setting it up.

So far, only the razing has taken place, but Chasity is seeing light at the end of her dark tunnel.

She goes out often and looks at the yellow house which will soon be moved a short distance to Niotaze.

When the Shouses heard about Chasity’s dilemma, they made an unbelievable offer: Just have everyone in the Meise home come and live with them. And that’s where Chasity and her family will spend the holidays as they look forward to moving into what they consider a “new” home.

“It’s not too big,” said Chasity, “but at least it will be safe for us. And I can’t tell you how appreciative we are. There are some wonderful people in this community.”

Several individuals were instrumental in getting the house donated and the old house razed, and now they are working feverishly to get someone to move the double-wide to its new foundation in Niotaze.

Gary Gorby and P.J. Buck donated the use of heavy equipment and tore down the house and removed it from the property. They now will move in dirt to fill the property so the newer house won’t face the same problem with flooding.

Carey Shouse’s parents, Don and Barbara Kinkle of Sedan, have been actively seeking donations of money, materials, labor and anything else that might help get the young family into their home soon.

The Kinkles attend a Friday night Bible study where it was first learned that Chasity and her family might be homeless soon, unless something could be done.

That group set into motion the volunteer efforts and fund-raising and they still are needing lots of help in those areas.

An account has been set up at the Community National Bank in Caney and checks should be made out to “Biet Echad” which is a Hebrew expression for House of Unity.

Those checks can be sent to Barbara Kinkle at 215 E. Cherokee, Sedan.

The first project will be to get a footing dug and built, then 1,000 concrete blocks laid as a foundation. Some blocks have been donated but many more will be needed.

Then the house will need to be moved, and help is needed with making those arrangements.

After the house is placed on its new foundation, laborers will be needed to repair damage and check out plumbing and wiring.

In the meantime, there are 11 people living in the Shouse residence at Niotaze.

“We’ve got a good system,” said a smiling Carey. “Brian and I work at Kansas Aviation in Independence and so we are gone during the daytime. At night, it’s admittedly tight quarters in their house but everyone sleeps in a bed or on a couch. Nobody sleeps on the floor,” said Carey.

“I can’t believe they invited us in,” said Chasity. “We didn’t know which way to turn and they just opened their home up to all of us.”

Chasity has five children: Sabrey 17, and her 19-month-old baby Isabelle, Gavin 15, Christopher 13, Devon 11, and Tori, also 11. Chasity’s younger children attend school at Caney.

Then there are the four Shouses: Brian and Carey and their children Skyler, 9, and Cassidy, 7.

Add them up and the total is 11 — all in one house at the north edge of Niotaze.

Anyone who would like to help make a new home for the Meise family should get in touch with Barbara Kinkle at 620 330-0465 or Pam Wiseman at 620 725-4004.